Bathing drawers



July 23, 1963 Filed June 16, 1961 /NVENTOR The invention relates to bathing drawers with a floating body fastened on them which is inflatable by means of an aspirating hose.

The main object of the invention is to provide a construction of bathing drawers which in the folded position of the floating body look substantially like any usual bathing drawers, but which, if the floating body is filled with air will keep the head of the swimmer out of the water even when he exhales air from his lungs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of bathing drawers or trunks which contain flotation means for supporting the front portion of the body from somewhat below the hips to the area of the breastbone.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of bathing drawers having inflatable flotation chambers within the drawers communicating with a foldable inflatable chamber portion which may be extended from the waist section of the drawers for engaging the front portion of the body.

Other and further objects of the invention are set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following and will become apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing bathing drawers according to the invention with the floating body evacuated and the upper part thereof in folded position;

IG. 2 is a front perspective showing the same bathing drawers with the floating body inflated and disposed in the extended position; and

FIG. 3 is ran enlarged longitudinal section -view through the bathing drawers, and being taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2.

According to the invention an upper foldable part of the floating body or inflatable chamber extends upwardly beyond the waist band of the bathing drawers, in such a way that this upper part reaches as far as to the breastbone of the swimmer in the unfolded position, whereby this part with the aspirating hose which is connected thereto is collapsible when void of air. Bathing drawers according to the invention are, therefore, put on in the usual way below the centre of gravity of the body, but when the upper portion of the floating body is unfolded and filled with air it extends far enough beyond the centre of gravity of the human body upwards so that the head of the swimmer is above the water level even if he should have deeply breathed out to deflate his lungs. This gives the non-swimmer as well as the swimmer, in case of over-fatigue, always the feeling of absolute safety so that any swimmer can fully enjoy swimming eve-n if he should physically not entirely be equal to the strain of this sport. The collapsible and foldable upper part of the floating body does not cause any difliculty when bringing the whole floating body into operative position, such as when standing in shallow water. The entire floating body can be inflated and deflated, and the upper portion folded and hidden again around the waist of the bathing drawers without others around the swimmer knowing what is being done.

The collapsible upper part of the floating body may be inserted in a pocket inside the bathing drawers or be folded back and forth upon itself in zigzag form, serving at the same time as a girdle, fastened on the bathing drawers by means of suitable patent fasteners.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, reference numeral 1 indicates bathing drawers of the usual kind of known construction, having a floating body or inflatable portion 2, the extendible upper part 3 of which is shown deflated and folded in concealed position in FIG. 1 and shown extended and inflated in FIGS. 2 and 3 beyond the upper brim 4 of the bathing drawers and up to the breastbone of the swimmer. Segments 5 of the floating body 2 form individual vertically extending inflatable channels across the front portion of the drawers 1, and when inflated insure that the floating body 2 tightly fits on the body of the swimmer, and renders buoyant support to that area of the svvimmers body covered by the bathing trunks. The plurality of vertical channels 5 extend substantially from the top edge 4 of the trunks to adjacent the leg openings in the trunks, as shown in the drawings, and thus are of various lengths dependent upon their placement across the front portion of the trunks.

According to the exemplified bathing drawers all the inflatable vertical channels or segments 5 positioned within the drawers are connected in communication with the extendible and foldable upper part 3 which is connected with an aspirating hose 6 for inflating the entire floating body 2, the free end 7 of which is occluded by means of a stopper 8 which is connected to the hose by a strap or the like so it cannot get lost. In particularly important cases it is recommendable to provide two floating bodies the segments of which are comblike fitted into each other and connected by means of a double hose with a double closure stopper in the shape of a fork for occluding the end of the double hose.

The floating body 2 is constructed of a material which will allow the floating body to lie inflated and remain in the inflated position for buoying up the swimmer somewhat like a small air mattress. In the deflated position the opposite side walls of the floating body lay substantially in contact with each other so that the deflated floating body takes up little room within the bathing drawers.

The foldable top part of the floating body is comprised of several horizontally disposed inflatable channels 3 joined along their horizontal edges as shown in FIG. 3, with the vertically disposed channels or segments 5 opening into the lowermost horizontal channel of the top part. Thus it can be seen that all portions of the floating body are simultaneously inflated by the hose 6.

The front portion of the top horizontal channel or hoselike strip 9 of the floating body 2 is preferably covered by a band of fabric 10 which looks like material from which a girdle is constructed, that is, elasticized material. This band of fabric 10 is mainly for purposes of rendering a better appearance to the bathing drawers, but in addition carries suitable patent fasteners 11 of known design adjacent its ends, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, for connecting the fabric band 10 to corresponding cooperating fasteners on the upper waist band 4 of the bathing drawers 1, as indicated in FIG. 1, when the top portion 3 of the floating body is in the deflated folded position.

When the extended upper portion 3 of the floating body 2 as shown in FIG. 3 is deflated and folded into concealment into the bathing drawers, as indicated in FIG. 1, the lowermost horizontal channel 3, as shown in FIG. 3, is first folded down into the drawers so as to overlie the inner wall of segments 5. The center horizontal channel 3 is then folded upwardly upon the previous mentioned channel 3', over the top edge of the waist band 4 and then downwardly in overlying relation over the front face of the bathing drawers. The uppermost horizontal channel 3, that is, channel 9, is then folded upwardly, back upon the previous fold so that the fabric band faces the front of the drawers. The fabric band is then secured in place by fasteners 11, as shown in FIG. 1, and the hose 6 is placed interior of the drawers to thereby conceal substantially all of the floating body 3. The entire upper portion 3 is very flexible when deflated and when being folded into concealment the folds are not necessarily made at the places where adjacent horizontal channels 3 are joined.

Folded girdle elements 12 and 13 connected to the floating body as well as the back catch 14, connected to the bathing drawers, insure an elastic fitting of the bathing trunks while at the same time freeing the floating body 2 from inadmissible stresses. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top horizontal channel 9 has one end of each of the bands 15 and 16 connected thereto with the opposite ends of the bands 15 and 16 connected to the back of the bathing trunks, as shown in FIG. 2, to insure a tight-fitting of the upper part 3, of the inflated floating body to the body of the swimmer. These bands fold inside the trunks when the upper portion 3 is folded into concealment.

To bring the upper portion 3 of the floating body into operation the fasteners 11 are released and by pulling upwardly on horizontal channel 9 the entire upper portion is unfolded to the position shown in FIG. 3. The floating body is then inflated by blowing into air hose 6 and the end is then occluded by stopper 8.

While I have described my invention in one of its preferred embodiments I realize that modifications can be made and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pair of bathing trunks including a plurality of vertically disposed inflatable air channels connected across the front portion of the trunks and interior thereof, :a plurality of horizontally disposed inflatable air channels communicatingly connected with each other along their horizontal edges and disposed to extend above the top edge of the trunks in their inflated position, said plurality of horizontally disposed chambers being of a size to cover the front portion of the wearer from the top of said trunks to substantially the breastbone, said vertical air channels terminating adjacent the top edge of said trunks and opening into communication with said plurality of horizontally disposed air chambers, inflating tube means connected with one of said horizontal :air chambers for simultaneous inflation of said plurality of horizontally disposed air chambers above said trunks and said vertically disposed air channels within said trunks, and support bands connected between the back portion of said trunks and opposite ends of the uppermost horizontally disposed air chamber of said plurality of horizontally disposed air chambers and normally engaging the sides of the wearer for maintaining said horizontally disposed air chambers in position.

2. The combination :as set forth in claim 1 in which said plurality of vertically disposed inflatable air channels extend substantially from the top edge of the trunks to adjacent the leg openings in said trunks.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which said plurality of vertically disposed air channels have varied lengths dependent upon their placement across the front portion of the trunks.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which certain of said horizontally disposed air chambers are disposed to be folded interior of the top edge of the trunks and certain of said horizontally disposed air chambers are disposed to be folded exterior of the top edge of the trunks in the deflated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,426,726 Combs Sept. 2, 1947 2,463,641 Podell Mar. 8, 1949 2,500,661 Chillemi Mar. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 979,802 France Dec. 13, 1950 

1. A PAIR OF BATHING TRUNKS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED INFLATABLE AIR CHANNELS CONNECTED ACROSS THE FRONT PORTION OF THE TRUNKS AND INTERIOR THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED INFLATABLE AIR CHANNELS COMMUNICATINGLY CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER ALONG THEIR HORIZONTALS EDGES AND DISPOSED TO EXTEND ABOVE THE TOP EDGE OF THE TRUNKS IN THEIR INFLATED POSITION, SAID PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CHAMBERS BEING OF A SIZE TO COVER THE FRONT PORTION OF THE WEARER FROM THE TOP SAID TRUNKS TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE BREASTBONE, SAID VERTICAL AIR CHANNELS TERMINATING ADJACENT THE TOP EDGE OF SAID TRUNKS AND OPENING INTO COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AIR CHAMBERS, INFLAT- 